Musicians On Sports: Sheryl Crow

When you hear the name Sheryl Crow, several identities come to mind: singer, songwriter and activist.

And just like there are many ways to describe Crow, she can identify with more than one genre of music.With the release of her new album Feels Like Home, Crow officially moves into the world of country. In an interview with Radio.com, Crow explained that the album is “an extension of what she’s always done,” but that she has learned some new tricks and tapped into her country roots.

While Crow’s showing dimensions musically, we wanted to ask her to show another side of herself personally. Believe it or not, she’s a sports lover. @CBSLocalSports asked Crow about her athletic proclivities and got the skinny on her tennis obsession, her St. Louis Cardinals love, and why the Olympics make her shed a tear.

What’s your favorite sport?

My favorite sport has got to be tennis, I am a tennis junkie.

What sporting event are we most likely to see you at?

My favorite sporting event to attend as a fan would probably have to be the U.S. Open because I am such a big tennis fan and I feel like I knowso many of the players and I’ve followed them for so long, it is very personal for me.

Do you have a favorite tennis player?

My favorite tennis player is definitely Roger Federer. And I just like watching him because not only is he a good sportsman, he just makes shots that are just; to me defy gravity.

You’re a Missouri native and naturally, a St. Louis Cardinals fan. Any Cardinals memories to share?

My favorite St. Louis Cardinals memory was singing the National Anthem at the All-Star Game and getting to meet Hank Aaron and Lou Brock; that was major. And I got to take my nephews who are practically statisticians for the Cardinals, and Pujols was there as well so it was a big day.

Overall, what’s your most memorable sports moment, personally?

My favorite memory and probably my most nerve-racking experience at a sporting event was singing the National Anthem at the Mets-Yankees World Series game. You sing a line and then you hear it come back at you so you are sort of critiquing yourself while also singing and it is just the strangest experience ever; not to mention the National Anthem is a really hard song to sing, so yeah I was nervous but it was actually a lot of fun.

Do you think sports are important to family life?

I think sports are super-important for families because it is something you can all do together. You get into a mindset where you’re rooting for a certain team and the energy of that is exciting. Also in my family we play a lot of sports, we play a lot of tennis, we swim a lot, we actually even have little relay races sometimes here at my house, and my kids are into swimming so we are big, big into sports and we are huge Olympic junkies, we watch the Olympics. I am that person that sits in bed with tissues and cries at the little vignettes about the people competing.

Crow’s new album, Feels Like Home, is now available. You can grab a copy here.